If you’re considering getting your Utah electrical license, you’re in the right place. This guide outlines the steps to get your license, insurance requirements, renewal process and reciprocity options.
When you pursue your license, you must gain work experience, education and pass an exam. We’ll cover what you need to perform electrical work in the Beehive State.
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Yes. Utah has the largest amount of electricians in the country at over 11,000, and the annual mean wage is just under $60,000. But to jumpstart your career, you’ll need a Utah electrical license to become a working electrician.
First, you will need to apply to be an apprentice. You can apply to be a journeyman electrician once you have enough documented experience as an apprentice. After several years, you can become eligible to get your master electrician license.
The Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) regulates and enforces licensure. The Electricians and Plumbers Licensing Board will review your application. There are five license classifications:
You can get two types of contractor licenses (general electrical and residential electrical) through the Contracting Board.
You can protect your business with the right electrician insurance. Your UT business insurance needs will vary depending on the type of business you are running. Here are the common forms of insurance that many electricians need.
In Utah, employers must have workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation can help with the costs related to workplace injuries, such as injuries, missed wages and medical expenses.
Learn more about workers’ compensation for contractors.
General liability insurance can help cover your business from common risks and mishaps, such as property damage to someone else’s property or the medical expenses around injury to someone who isn’t an employee. It can also help protect against personal and advertising injuries.
Electrical contractors must obtain general liability insurance with a minimum required coverage of $100,000 for each incident and $300,000 in total. The DOPL should be listed as a certificate holder.
Learn more about general liability insurance for contractors.
You may move into a commercial space as your business grows. Commercial property insurance can cover work properties, including rental spaces or owned properties, equipment, furniture and more inside commercial properties. It can help protect against mishaps such as fire or theft.
A business owner’s policy, or BOP insurance, provides broad coverage of general liability and commercial property policies combined in a single, cost-efficient bundle. It helps cover damage that you or your employees may inadvertently cause to another person’s property and helps protect your business inventory in the event of a fire or other covered event.
Most electricians spend a lot of time working out of their vehicles and on various job sites. You can insure your tools and equipment if damaged, lost or stolen with tools and equipment insurance.
You may also need to insure your work vehicle with commercial auto insurance if you drive for business. This coverage can help cover accident-related costs, like repairs and towing.
Utah requires all driver to be insured. Coverage minimums are:
The first step to getting an electrician license in Utah is applying to be an apprentice electrician. This includes a verification of supervision form to ensure you have a supervisor as you progress in your training.
Getting your journeyman electrician license in Utah can take approximately four years, but this can vary depending on how you complete your documented experience.
After qualifying as an apprentice, you can apply to become a journeyman electrician. The requirements include:
Alternatively, you can skip the four-year education program and double your supervised working time. You must complete 16,000 hours of licensed electrical experience working under a licensed journeyman or master electrician. You will still need to pass all electrical exams.
The third-party administrator, Prov, conducts testing. Exams are open-book, and you must score a 75% to pass. You can read their candidate information bulletin.
Residential journeyman electricians have similar requirements. They must:
Or, they could have 8,000 hours of residential electrical experience as a licensed apprentice electrician, plus take the exams.
There are several paths to getting your master electrician license. Here are the three options:
Or
Or
You do not have to take the Practical exam if you already took and passed it as a journeyman.
Residential master electrician applicants must have the following:
Or
You can bypass the practical exam as a journeyman if you have already taken it.
Both general and residential electrical contractors must meet the following requirements:
You must also take the Utah Business & Law exam through Prov, the testing administrator. The exam is open-book, and you must score 70% to pass.
If you meet the following qualifications, you can apply without taking the exam:
Utah does not have formal reciprocity with other states, but if you hold an electrician license from a different state, you may qualify for licensure by endorsement.
The state of Utah has separate information on the endorsements between journeymen, master electricians and electrical contractors.
Journeyman endorsement states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Master endorsement states: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Contractor endorsement states: Almost every state except Kansas, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have some form of equivalency.
Your journeyman, master and contractor electrical licenses are good for two years. It’s key to renew your Utah electrician license so you can keep working. DOPL will mail you a renewal notice sixty days before your license expires. (Make sure your address is up to date.)
Here are the renewal requirements for licensed journeyman electricians and master electricians:
License renewal requirements for contractors:
No more than three hours may be taken online; at least three hours must be in a live seminar.
NEXT focuses on insuring small businesses and we insure over 1,300+ professions. We provide affordable electrician insurance that protects you and your business and satisfies all state requirements.
You can purchase coverage 100% online. Apply for coverage and get a certificate of insurance — fast. You can always provide a digital copy of coverage at every job site.
Your insurance does not have to be complicated. As you get licensed, you can check it off your to-do list.
Start a free instant quote with NEXT.
Do you want to work as an electrical contractor in another U.S. state? Learn what states require licenses in our guide to electrician license requirements.
This information has been provided as a service. It is correct and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge; however, it is in no way intended to offer legal advice and you must always consult with local authorities before you make any business decisions. Regulations and requirements may change at any time.
Jessica spent over a decade working in education before moving into content marketing. She has worked on content marketing campaigns in the edtech, real estate, and personal finance sectors. She has a passion for working with companies that take the time to educate their customers. When she’s not working, she’s probably outside with her two kids.
